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The Missing Link For The Mac Mini
{mosgoogle}The ADS Tech Mini Drive Kit is the latest addition to its award-winning line of USB products. With the Mini Drive kit, Mac users can quickly and easily increase their storage capacity - a key requirement for consumers who use their Mac mini or iMac 5 as a digital hub or home entertainment center. The plug-and-play device can also be used to back up files and to transfer files from one Mac computer to another. Currently, up to 500GB of storage capacity can be added simply by plugging an IDE Ultra DMA 33/66 or ATA-100/133 compliant hard disk drive into the ADS Tech Native Bridge Board inside the drive kit’s enclosure.
Designed with the same sleek look and feel of the Mac mini, the stackable ADS Tech’s Mini Drive Kit also offers the same small form factor as the Mac mini - it is just 6.5 inches square and 2 inches high. When plugged into the USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port of a computer, the Mini Drive Kit is instantly recognized, there’s no need to configure the drive or reboot the system.
By including ADS Tech’s Simple Touch Backup Button on the rear of the drive kit, users can back up entire folders or selected files with a single click. Automatic backups can be scheduled by using the Intech utilities for PCs and Macs that are included with the drive kit.
ADS Tech’s versatile USB 2.0 Mini Drive Kit is externally powered with a power supply that provides both 5 and 12 volts to the drive. A lighted power toggle switch and a hard drive activity light are included to help users quickly determine drive access. To keep drives cool and ensure smooth, quiet operation for thousands of hours, a silent ball bearing fan with dual fan guards is included. For security, the Mini Drive Kit offers advanced micro-slot protection (to keep the drive from “walking away”) and compatibility with both Anchor Pad and Kensington Locks.
Where To Buy It
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Taking a Closer Look
{mosgoogle}The ADS Tech Mini Drive Kit includes the USB 2.0 Drive Enclosure, a 6-foot USB 2.0 cable, a 6 inch USB 2.0 cable, a 5-Volt/12-volt Power Supply, a silent ball bearing cooling fan and a CD with Intech's Utilities for PC and Mac systems. Available through ADS Tech’s network of online and retail channels worldwide with estimated street price of $59.99.
The Mini Drive Kit is held together by 4 screws at the base of the unit. Removing the screw allows for the removal of the drive cover. The drive cover itself can also be taken apart in case you want to change the ADS Tech logo to a different position. For example, if you wish to stand the Mini Drive Kit vertically instead of flat, you would take apart and rotate the cover plate that holds the ADS Tech logo 90 degree so it still reads right side up.
The ADS Tech Mini Drive Kit will accept any IDE Ultra DMA 33/66 or ATA-100/133 compliant hard disk drive. No SATA model is offered at this time. Since speed is limited by the USB 2.0 connection, any drive that runs faster than 5,400 RPM will be able to make full use of the Mini Drive Kit.
Where To Buy It
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The Control Center
{mosgoogle}All the connections and controls for the ADS Tech Mini Drive Kit are located at the back of the unit. The only thing at the front of the kit is a LED status light. ADS Tech made some odd location choices in our opinion. We feel the Single Touch backup button and on/off switch should be placed at the front of the unit. However, that would have spoiled the clean Apple Mini looks that ADS Tech was going for.
Installation & Testing
Setting up the ADS Tech Mini Drive Kit in no harder than installing a normal hard drive. The drive kit came apart easily and installation of the 160 GB Western Digital hard drive went very smoothly. Total setup time for us was less than 10 minutes. Upon plugging in the power and USB cable, we notice that the status LED didn't work. We're not sure if it broke during the installation of the hard drive or if it was dead from the factory.
Performance of the ADS Tech Mini Drive Kit was as expected. By using a 7,200 RPM hard drive, we tapped out the limits of the USB 2.0 connection. Putting in a faster hard drive would not improve performance.
The unit performed silently during all our testing. The fans used to keep the drive cool worked as promised. The Mini Drive Kit never got more than warm to the touch. The One Touch Backup software works quite well. You can use it to back up selected files or entire folders with a single click and even schedule the backups automatically.
Where To Buy It
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{mosgoogle}Conclusion
After living with the ADS Tech Mini Drive Kit for a week, we came away liking the unit a lot. We're sure that many Apple Mini owners will like it as well. You can stack this kit on top a Mac Mini and people will think you have two Mac Mini computers.
Just because it was designed to be used with Apple products doesn't mean it won't work with a PC. Any PC with a free USB connection will be able to use the ADS Tech Mini Drive Kit. The unit look very nice sitting on top of our Shuttle desktop.
On the negative side, we would have like to see the on/off switch and backup button on the front of the unit. While the Mini Drive Kit is very small it's not as portable as some of the drive enclosures we've tested. The portability problem is not caused by drive kit, but by the power cord. The 5-Volt/12-volt Power Supply that is attached to the cord is almost as big as many laptop power supplies, and this made transporting the Mini Drive Kit more difficult than competing kits.
At $59.99 or less, the ADS Tech Mini Drive Kit is in the same ball park as other drive kits. What sets this kit apart from others is it's looks just like a Mac Mini. Seeing how Apple puts such small hard drives in their Mini, adding an ADS Tech Mini Drive Kit is an ideal way to increase capacity without sacrificing looks.
Where To Buy It
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